The Rural Partnership and Prosperity Act establishes two new grant programs administered by the Department of Agriculture to support economic development in rural communities. The first program provides multiyear grants (2-5 years) to partnerships of local governments, nonprofits, businesses, tribes, and universities to coordinate federal and private investments in rural areas, with eligible uses including planning, workforce development, disaster recovery, and capital projects. The second program funds technical assistance grants to nonprofit and educational organizations that help rural communities access federal funding, develop projects, and build capacity. Both programs prioritize economically distressed rural areas and tribal communities, with grants requiring 25-30 percent non-federal matching funds (though the secretary can waive this for high-poverty areas and tribes). The bill also restructures and expands the existing Rural Partners Network to coordinate federal economic development programs more efficiently. The legislation authorizes whatever funding Congress appropriates, with the secretary retaining up to 2 percent of funds for program administration.
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